The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Vehicle article carrier systems are used on a wide variety of motor vehicles to transport objects above an outer surface of a vehicle. Typically such vehicle article carriers are secured on an outer body surface of a vehicle, for example such as on a roof of the vehicle. A vehicle article carrier often includes one, but more typically two, cross bars that are supported on support rails, where the support rails are fixedly secured to the roof of the vehicle. The cross bars are supported on the support rails so that they extend laterally (i.e., width-wise) above the outer body surface of the vehicle between the two support rails. The cross bars are thus supported above the outer body surface and used to support articles thereon, typically with the assistance of cargo straps such as bungee cords, rubber cords or nylon cords.
While such vehicle article carriers are highly useful for transporting articles thereon, the cross bars do typically add a small degree of wind resistance as the vehicle travels. Also, some individuals feel that the cross bars may detract from the overall aerodynamic, aesthetic looks of a vehicle when the cross bars are positioned for use. But if the cross bars are to be removed when not in use, then storing the cross bars may become an issue. The cross bars may potentially be stored in the interior of the vehicle or in the trunk area, but then this obviously will have drawbacks with using valuable interior space of the vehicle or valuable trunk space. Leaving the cross bars at one's residence, such as in one's garage, presents the issue that the cross bars may be unexpectedly needed for use, but the user will not have them available with the vehicle.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a vehicle article carrier system that is able to be secured in a stowed configuration on the vehicle, and in a location on the vehicle where the stowed components do not consume any useable storage space or any occupant space of the vehicle. It would further be highly desirable if the stowed components could be stowed in a way that also does not detract from the aerodynamic and aesthetic appeal of the vehicle.